The present invention pertains to improvements in protective headgear. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a helmet which can be removed in an emergency situation without excessive movement of the wearer's head to avoid exacerbating possible head, neck or spinal injuries.
Protective headgear is worn by various athletes including, but not limited to, football players, race car drivers, motorcyclists, bikers, hockey players, skateboarders, and ski racers. In spite of efforts to protect the head of the wearer, occasionally a sports participant undergoes a head, neck or spinal injury. In such cases, it is extremely important that the head not be moved until the nature and extent of the injury can be diagnosed. Simultaneously, it is just as critical that the headgear be removed quickly should CPR be necessary and to enable the diagnosis to be carried out quickly so proper medical attention can be administered promptly. Conventional head gear requires the head of the wearer to be raised and an axial pull force, and associated frictional force, exerted to effect removal. Such movement of a patient's head is exactly the type of movement that could turn a relatively minor injury into a permanent disability or result in death.
The present invention provides a multiple-piece helmet design, the parts of which can be disassembled and removed from the head of its wearer while minimizing movement of the athlete's head and spinal column. The present invention pertains to improvements in the present inventor's helmet design disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,283, issued on Oct. 31, 2004 for PROTECTIVE HELMET WITH MEDICAL EMERGENCY REMOVAL FEATURE.
The inventor's prior design, while being effective has certain shortcomings which the present invention overcomes. In the inventor's prior art design, all latching mechanisms were located on outside surfaces of the helmet shell, making them subject to contact by other players and exposure to the elements whereby accidental separation might occur. In addition, the inventor's prior art helmet required the use of a tool to gain access to the latching mechanisms. This requires that people attending the injured person must always carry the required tool with them and this further complicates and extends the time for effecting helmet separation as the tool must first be retrieved, if available, and then manipulated before access to helmet separation is even possible.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a multi-piece helmet which is devoid of these disadvantages and is further inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.